Railroad spreader



ugu 2, 1932. H, W. PRQTZELLER ,869,774

RAILROAD SPREADER Filed Feb. 2s, 1929 5 sheets-sheet 1 .Augo 2, 1932. H. w. PROTZELLER RAILROAD SPREADER Filed Feb. 25. 1929 3 SheeS-Shee 2 ug- 2, 1932. A H. w. PROTZELLER 1,869,774

RAILROAD SPREADER Filed Feb. 25, 1929 5 sheets-sheep 3 MIM l1 .5% mmm l lul! Patented Aug. 2, 1932 naitre' STATES PATENToFI-ICE HARRY il?. PRGTZELLER, OF EAST CHICAGO, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR VTC) 0. F. JORDAN COMPANY, F EAST CHICAGO, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA RAILROAD SPREADER Application inea February as, 19291 serial No. Y1,341,926.

This invention relates to improvements in railroad spreaders and it consists of thematters hereinafter described and Vmore particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The primary object of the invention is to provide in a railroadspreader, an improved telescopic brace construction between Athe spreader wing and car `which includes hydraulic means for locking theparts of `the brace in the desired extended position.V f

A further obj ect of the invention is to provide such a construction, whichin no manner interferes with therelative turning of the brace parts during the changing of the le vertical angular position of the wing and one which will hold the brace extended against any load imposed against the wing, met with in the condition of use. These objects of the invention, as wellias others together with the many advantages thereof will more'fully appear as I proce-ed with my specification.

In the drawings Y Fig. 1 is a top plan View of .a railroad i5 spreader embodying my improved form of wing brace.

F ig. 2 is a. perspective View 'of a railroad spreader embodying my Vimproved wing brace, as viewed toward lone of the wing braces which is in its extended operative position.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale as taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal vertical sectional view through the brace bar parts lockiBng mechanism as taken on the line 4-4 of ig. 3.' f

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through a hydraulic ram employed with' each set of braces.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention illustrated in Ithe accompanying drawings, 1 indicates asa wholev the car y of a railroad spreader and 2-2 indicate the' main spreader or side wings, arrangedy one at each side of the car. InjFig. 1 the decking of the car has been omitted4 for the purpose of more fully showingfthe underframing thereof. f f l Y` rlhe underframing includes side sills 3-'3 suitably connected together and extending from end'vto end of the car. At the front end of' the car and spaced outwardly from the side sills are shorter sills Je-4 thus providing a wider frame or platform 5 at said end of the carv which is pointed in the usual manner 'to accommodate the associated `V 'shapedfront plow 6.

" At each end of theframe is provided wheeled truck 7 by means of which the car' Vmay be moved upon the rails of a-railroad track 8. The construction -just above described provides a substantially arrow-shaped car bodywith wider front end and a narrower part to the rear thereof, against which the wings2-2are disposed when the car is in transit from one Apoint of use to another.

At each side of the car, a suitable distance l to the rear of the-wider front platform'part 5 is an upright wing carriage post 9 suitably secured to and supported from the side sills.v

Each post is preferably tubular and mounted thereon for a vertical guided movement'is a hinge bracket plate 10. Said bracket plate is bifurcated to receive the inner end of va wing 2 and said wing is hinged in the bracket plate by a horizontal pin 11. *suitably connected to each post is an arm 12 the free end of which is connected to a `piston 13 of a compressed viiuid cylinder 14 .carried on the car underframing as best shown in F ig.l1. As is apparentin said figure, each cylinder is dis-l posed on that side of the car opposite the one upon which its associated wing is located. Thus when fluid under pressure is admitted to one end of a cylinder, it will swing theassociated wing about the carriage post away from the car as bestv shown at the bottom of Fig. l-and when fluid under pressure is 'admitted to the other end of said cylinder the wing is swung in toward the side of the car as best shown at the topV of said Fig.`1. Asv the construction just describedwill form the subject matter of a separate 'application to be filed later, itwill not be described in more detail herein. f

With each wing there is associated a power cylinder 15I which the wing may be swung into different vertical angular positions about;

wing to the bracket plate 10. From the above, it is apparent that the wing may be readily swung from an inoperative position parallel with Vthe cut in sides of the car to an operative position at an angle thereto and that when said wing is in its operative position its outer end may be swung up or down to give the desired vertical angularity thereto.

Associated with each wing is one or more braces, the function of which is to hold the wing at the desired angular position with respect to the car and to receive the thrust or load imposed upon the wing in service and to transmit it to the underframing of the car. As shown in Fig. 2- l' provide a pair of inner braces 16 and an outer brace 17 for each wing and as all of said braces are substantially alike in structure and only differ in length, a detailed'description of one, will sutlice for all. Each brace includes inner and outer tubular members or pipes 18 and 19 respectively. In this instance the inner pipe member 18 is of a larger diameter and on the outer end thereof is fixed in a' clamp guide block or casting 20 which includes a barrel portion 21and a cylinder portion 22 arranged at a right angle thereto on the top side thereof. One end 21a of the barrel por tion is reduced in diameter to fit within the end of the pipe 18 and said end of the pipe is provided with perforations through which said end 21a of the barrel portion is welded thereto as indicated at 24 in Fig. 3.

The associated end of the pipe 19 bears upon the bottom part of the barrel portion and has fixed to its extremity, a collar 25 which has a snug sliding fit within the in terior of the pipe 18. ln the topside of the barrel portion is a chamber 26 which coinmunicates with the bore of the cylinder by a vertically disposed groove 27. In the chamber is located a semi-cylindrical shoe 28 and the bottom surface thereof is concaved to lit over that portion of the pipe 19 within the chamber. On the top of said shoe is a rece tangular boss 29 which has a somewhat loose sliding guided lit in the groove 2-7 and in said boss is formed a concaved recess 29a.

The open top end of the cylinder 22 is closed by a head 30 and slidable within the cylinder is a piston 31. On the top of the piston is secured a cup leather or gasket 32 and on the bottom of the piston is formed a heiniespherical boss 31a to seat within the recess 29a in the shoe boss 29. This construction provides a ball and socket like engagement between the piston and shoe so that while the shoe may float to a certain extent on the pipe 19, an operative engageinentbetween the piston and shoe will always take place when the piston forces the shoe into engagement with the pipe 19.

The outer or free end of thepipe 19 has a ball and socket joint connection with the rear side of the wing as indicated as a whole at 33 in Fig. 1 while the inner end of the pipe 18 has a universal joint connection with 'the underframing of the car as indicated at On the rear end of the car is located means for delivering hydraulic pressure to the cylinder 22 of each brace and such means is as follows: 35-35 indicate a pair of fluid pressure cylinders disposed longitudinally of the car near the rear end thereof and liXed to the underframing in any suitable manner, there being one cylinder provided for the braces 16 and y17 respectively of each wing. Each cylinderv35 has associated with it a hydraulic ram indicated as a whole at 36, The cylinders 35-35 are offset longitudinally on the car underframing for the purpose of saving space and the ram of one cylinder is directed forwardly and the rain of the other cylinder is directed rearwardly as best shown in Fig. 1. As the construction of each cylinder and its ram is the saine, a detailed description of one will sutlice for both.

Each cylinder 35 is closed at its ends by heads 37 and 38 respectively. Fixed to the head 37 is a spider 37a to which one end of the barrel 39 of the ram is secured, in a manner supporting the ram from the cylinder, the other end of said barrel being closed by a cap 40. In the cylinder 35 is a piston 41 carrying oppositely facing cup leathers or gaskets 41a--41a and to said pinion is secured a piston rod 42. Said rod slides through a stutling box or packing 43 in the spider and extends into the barrel 39 of the ram to act as the plunger thereof. As the cylinder 35 and the barrel are of different diameter, it is apparent that great pressure may be developed in the barrel when the piston moves in one direction, oil being used in the barrel as the hydraulic medium. To lill the barrel with oil a plug 39n is provided in the top side of said barrel.

Fixed in the cap 40 is one end of a pipe 115' nipple 44 the other end of which carries an elbow fitting 45. Depending from the elbow is a pipe section 46 connected by a T fitting 47 to branch pipes 48-482, one for the cylinder 22 of each wing brace 16 and 17. conduit 49 connects the branch pipe 48 with the head 30 of the cylinder 22 of the brace bar 17, while a conduit 49a connects the branch pipe 48a with the head of each of the cylinders 22 associated with the pair of the brace bars 16. Preferably the. conduits 49 and 49 are made ofV copper tubingand in each conduit is formed a pig tailv or a plurality of helical loops 50. The pig tail of the wings and braces in actual service andY eliminate the use of swing joint fittings therein which cannot hold the vgreatinternal pressures necessary without leakage.

The heads of each cylinder 35 are connected by suitable valved pipes 37X and 38X (see Fig'. 1) by which air under pressure may be admitted tothe desired end of the cylinder 35 to move the piston thereof in either direction under power.

On the car underframing, `to the rear of the wing posts 9-9 is located a container or tank 5.1 for air under pressure asbest shown in Fig. 1, to which the pipes 37X and 38X respectively are connected but for the sake of clearness the piping from said tank to the cylinders is omitted from Fig. 1 of the` drawings.

The operation of the mechanism above described is as follows Assume that both wings are folded in toward the car as shown at the top of Fig. 1. When it is desired to swing one of the wings into an operative position as shown at the bottom of Fig. 1, air under pressure is'admitted to the proper cylinder 14 which through the associated armr12 will swing said wing into its operative position about the associated wing post 9 as an axis. In this movement of the wing, the pipe section 19 will slide in the pipe section 18, it being` understood that the hydraulic medium in Y the rams 36 is not under pressure in the various cylinders .2Q-22 and therefore there is no gripping or 'clamping of the associated Vshoes upon said pipe sections 19.

`When the desired operative angular position of the wing has been reached, air under Vpressure is admitted through. the pipe 38X to one end of the associated cylinder 35 to move the piston thereof toward the other end of the cylinder, the other pipe 87X being open at this time to atmosphere. As the piston moves outwardly of the cylinder, it moves inwardly with respect to the barrel 89 of the ram 86 with the result that the medium (oil) Within the same is placed under great pressure and passes out of the barrel in this condition through the conduits 48 and 18a to the cylinders 22 of each brace bar. With the oil under pressure in said cylinders 22*22 the pistons 31 in said cylinders will move downwardly and will force the associated shoes 29 into a tight clamping engagement with the pipe section 19 and thus'lock the pipe section 19 to thepipe section 18.v

It has been demonstrated in actual use 4 that by hydraulically forcing the shoe into engagement upon the pipe section 19 asvdescribed', the brace may be held in its extended condition under far greater load strains imposed upon the wing than was hereto possible to hold with the pin and hole type of lock heretofore employed. Should the wing tend to float up or down due to the uneven surfaces operated upon, or if it becomes necessary to change the wing for any reason, this is readily possible l after unlocking the pipe section 19 and should the said pipe section turn during this operation, it will in no manner interfere with the relooking because no registration of lock n ing pin and hole need be taken into consid Y eration.

lVhen it is desired to swing the wing back into its inoperative position alongside the car, the air under pressure is shut off from the pipe 38X which is then opened to atmospliere andair is admitted to the other end of said cylinder 35 by means of the pipe 37X.

-Thus the piston therein moves toward the other end of said cylinder 35 and draws the piston-plunger rod in the other direction `in the ram barrel.v This sucks .the hydraulic medium out of the lcylinder 22 back into the ram cylinder and releases the pressure on the pistons 31 and shoes 29 so that the pipe sections 19 are free to slide inthe pipe sections 18 and thusl .telescopev and foreshorten as is necessary.

As the concavedl pipe engaging surface of the shoe wears down, this wearis automatically taken up or compensated for by the movement of the pistons 3l.

The construction described has many advantages. It. securely holds the brace in its extended position under eXtreme loads and the brake shoe grips or clampsupon any portion of the pipe section 19. Again the number of parts are reduced to a minimum so that labor and material cost is' greatly decreased.

lVhile in describing the invention I have referred in detail to the form, arrangement and construction of the various parts thereof,A the same is to be considered merely as illus-4 trative so thatI do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be specifically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination with inner and outer telescopic elements,'a member on one end ofsaid member toward and away from said in#- ner element, and a hydraulically,actuated piston also movable in said member and engaged vertical angle of the ico its

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said device.

brace members having interiitting end porposition saic gripping device and With said device to move it into engagement With said inner tubular element said device and piston being formed with interengaging parts that normally permit a rocking movement between them.

2. In combination with inner and outer telescopic elements, a rieinber on one end of the outer element and through which the other element is longitudinally movable, a device movable in said member toward and away from said inner tubular element, a hydraulically actuated piston aiso movable in said member and means providing a ball and socket engagement between said piston and 3. n combination with inner and outer telescopic elements, a member on one end of said outer element and through which the other element longir dinally slidable, said member including a cylinder disposed at a right angle to the axes of said telescopic elements, a shoe in said member and formed at one end to partially embrace said inner element and having a boss at its other end and a h draulieall r actuated iston in said cvlinder and having a hemispherical portion engaging in a similarly formed recess in the boss on said shoe.

t. In combination .vith a pair of coacting tubular members capable of a relative turning as Well as a relative telescopic movement, a hydraulic engine mounted on one of said members and including a hydraulically movable part and a gripping device associated With said engine normally engaged with the other of said members and adapted to be moved by said movable part of said hydraulic engine to powerfully grip' said other member to lock said members in the desired relative engine including parts so formed asto permit a limited rocking movement betiveen them.

5. In combination with a pair of coacting telescopic elements, a member carried on one end of one of said elements and formed to provide a hydraulic cylinder arranged at substantially a right angle to said elements and a chamber through which the other element is longitudinally movable and hydraulically actuated means in said cylinder and chamber respectively for engaging that portion of said other element passing through said chamber With a clamping action.

6. ln combination With a pair of telescopic tions, means providing a hydraulic engine on one of said members and including a` piston movable in direction at a right angle to the axis of said brace members and a gripping block engaged at one end with the other of said brace members and adapted to be engaged at its other end by said piston to poW- erfully grip said last mentioned member to lock said telescopic. members in the desired relative position.

7 .f In a device of the kind described, a pairv of coacting telescopic members, one of which is reinforced at one end and the other of said members interitting With said reinforced portion, said reinforcing portion including a cylinder disposed at a right angle to the axis of said telescopic members, a hydraulically actuated piston in said cylinder and a gripping block engageable by said piston and movable into gripping relation upon said other of said telescopic members to lock said telescopic members in the desired relative relation.

8. In combination with a pair of coacting tubular brace members capable of a relative turning as Well as a relative telescopic movement, a hydraulic engine carried by one of said members and including a cylinder arranged at'a right angle to the axis of said members, a piston in said cylinder and a gripping jaw actuated in one direction thereby to powerfully grip the other of said members to leclr them in the desired relative position.

1n testimony whereof, l have hereunto set my hand, this 18th day of Feb., 1929.

HARRY lV. ROTZELLER. 

